A New Jersey police union has canceled a raffle that included a shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle, NJ.com reported.
The Police Benevolent Association was offering the guns — including an M&P15 Sport rifle, which is Smith & Wesson's version of an AR-15 assault rifle — along with a 55-inch Samsung television set, the North Jersey Record reported.
“We understand the gravity of these weapons and the means to which they’ve been used,” Capt. Mustafa Rabboh, a spokesman for PBA Local 309, said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended as a result of this raffle.”
The television was to be handed to the raffle winner, but those who won the guns were to receive vouchers to take to a store, NJ.com reported.
“The winner of the weapons was obligated to clear a thorough background check in order to receive them,” Rabboh’s statement said. “The weapons are in the possession of the gun store and at no time were they going to be turned over to the winner by any member of the PBA.”
The M&P15 sells online for about $740, while the shotgun, a Kel-Tec KSG, retails for about $990, the North Jersey Record reported.
The prosecutor's office became involved after a reporter asked for a comment about the legality of the raffle, the website reported.
"All money collected for the raffles will be refunded," Rabboh told NJ.com. "Although the money raised was to benefit scholarships and programs for our youth, the safety and respect we share with our community far outweighs the means to raise these funds."
About the Author
